Goodbye, You Feisty Little Year

Goodbye, 2020.  I'm still not sure what I think about you.

You are, shall we say, difficult to work with.  You don't play well with others.  You've caused sickness and shortages.  You've shuttered businesses and taken loved ones.

And yet.

You've also drawn my family closer together, taught me to value my friends and church more, and closed with a glimmer of hope that this pandemic is almost over and better days are ahead.

I'm not sorry to see you go, but . . . thank you.

 

The Enderman on the Light Fixture

 After spending most of December . . .

. . . resting on wreaths . . .

. . . lounging on lamps . . .

. . . and popping up in lots of other unexpected places . . .

. . . "The Enderman on the Shelf" suddenly became "The Enderman on the Light Fixture" for an entire week.  Maybe teleporting around the house all month had worn him out, and he needed a rest.

This afternoon, I noticed that he had moved to the mantel and was hanging out with our nutcracker.  He seemed to be saying, "That was fun, but now I'm done (at least until next December)."

The Birthday Inferno

 Joy delivered my Christmas present today: 

She had given me a coupon for one mopped floor, and I happily cashed that in this morning.  It felt like a holiday.  And in a way it is, because this is Daddy's birthday!  He requested steak for dinner . . .

. . . so I headed to the grocery store and asked the butcher for steak recommendations (he suggested New York strip steaks, which I think was a good call).  I also asked him how we ought to cook them, since we don't make steak often, and we wanted to get it right.

Here's a picture of Joy and the birthday boy grilling our steaks.  I won't show you a picture of the finished product because . . . it's just too sad.  The butcher told me how long to cook the steaks, but he didn't say how hot.  Phillip said the grill got up to 700 degrees, and Joy recalls seeing the steaks engulfed in 12" flames at one point.  I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

At least the roasted potatoes and lemon pie turned out well, but in fairness, I've gone through a lot of trial and error to get them that good.  I'm sure we'll try steaks again too (and do a bit more research first!).

Happy birthday, Daddy!  Thanks for being there for me when I need you, and for being so committed to God and our family!  We love you!

(UPDATE: I found a couple New York strip steaks on sale a few days later, so Daddy and I had a friendly cooking competition that night.  I cooked one steak using the stove and oven while he cooked the other on the grill, then our family tried some of each steak with dinner to see which version we liked better.  Both turned out well, but we agreed that Daddy's was the best.  Second time's a charm!)

Church, Stew, and Shin

One of Daniel's favorite things about Christmastime is actually a Jewish tradition.  As I started putting up the Christmas decorations this month, he kept asking if I'd found our dreidel yet.  

I finally ran across it a couple days before Christmas, and he and Todd are having fun playing with it.

I joined their game for a while this afternoon, but I kept getting "shin" and having to put part of my stash in the pot.  My kids had to bail me out twice.  When I went bankrupt the third time, I decided it was a sign that I should go do something else.

In other news, I took my new Instant Pot (thanks Mom!) on its maiden voyage this evening.  The stew turned out well, and I look forward to trying some of my siblings' favorite Instant Pot recipes, like tortilla soup and chili verde.

On a different note, today is the last Sunday of 2020.  As our family walked into church, I wished we didn't have to wear masks.  I wished safety restrictions didn't limit attendance to a few dozen people.  I wished we could all just hug each other again!  But I also felt grateful that we can meet together.  There is something so heartening about gathering with people who share my love for God and my desire to be more like Him.  It isn't ideal, but I'll take it.

Mama's Day Off

 Well, as my grandma used to say, Christmas is gone, and it didn't take long.

The same could be said of all the lovely snow that made our town look like a winter wonderland last week . . .

. . . and then got washed away by a warm (read: mid-fifties) rainstorm Christmas morning.  Ah well--the only constant is change, right?

And for a change, I decided to take today off.  I drove to Panera, ordered a Green Goddess Cobb Salad, and spent the next few hours in a mostly-empty restaurant taking care of some nagging tasks, and generally reflecting on life without interruptions.  It was really nice--I think I may start spending a Saturday at Panera at least once a month.

Back at home, I noticed that our waxed amaryllis bulbs are getting ready to bloom.  They didn't quite pop in time for Christmas (and that Christmas cactus doesn't seem to be in any hurry either), but I think they will be a beautiful way to usher in the new year.

Gifts and Jedi

The kids recently ran across this old blog post from our time in Maryland, and requested that I put a similar sign on my door last night.  I was more than happy to oblige.  I don't do festive before 8:30am these days.

As you might expect, four young Hendricksons entered my room this morning at 8:30am sharp, loudly singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (just what any groggy parent wants to wake up to on Christmas Day).  I wearily dragged myself out of bed and changed out of my pajamas . . .

. . .  into something more appropriate: a delightfully tacky Christmas dress I bought this year.  It even has twinkling lights.  The kids love it.

Favorite memories from this year's gift opening session include Anna trying to reach a gift Joy taped to the bottom of a huge box . . .

. . . and Daniel carefully using his new pocket knife to remove wrapping paper.

The kids have also been asking for another Christmas treasure hunt, so I put one together last night.  When Anna read the final clue taped to a plastic wand ("Wingardium leviosa!"--don't forget to swish and flick!), I pulled a ribbon that "levitated" the treasure up from its hiding place behind the blanket basket.  I'm actually kind of surprised that stunt worked, but I'm glad it did. :)

The rest of Christmas looked pretty much like this: playing with a fun little drone, and reading lots of books.

These are my top book picks from this Christmas (plus a mini stollen from Trader Joe's--yum!).  I love Adam Giowitz's retelling of my favorite original Star Wars episode, and the "Jedi lessons" he includes at the end of each chapter are fun and sometimes rather thought provoking (I doubt I'll ever move stuff with my mind, but his instant meditation tip is very helpful).  And I would never have guessed that Shakespearean riffs on Star Wars films would be so much fun if I hadn't read them (and loved them!).

That said, I'm torn about whether to buy the Shakespearean retellings of Episodes 1-3, because I found the films so disappointing.  Maybe the modern Bard's versions would be better though, since I like this author's style much better than George Lucas's prequel scripts.  I decided to look for the Shakespearean prequels in our local library system's online catalog, and was delighted to find that some branches list them in the nonfiction section.  I knew it!  Star Wars is real!!!

Singing to a Really Big Dog

 It's Christmas Eve!

Time to read Christmas books . . .

. . . decorate our tree . . .

. . . and sing Christmas carols to some friends (and their grandma's enormous St. Bernard).

Back at home, the kids decided to have their squishmallows sing carols to each other. :)

After dinner, we did our traditional Christmas Eve program . . .

. . . then let Doc ("Awww! He's so cute!") roll around among the Christmas gifts the kids have begun putting under the tree for their siblings.

Once the kids were in bed, Daddy and I put the rest of the gifts under the tree, then I brought out the star balloons I'd been hiding and tied them to the backs of our chairs.  We're ready for Christmas Day!

Be Messy!

 Joy's nearsightedness has gotten worse lately, so I scheduled an eye exam for her.  The doctor didn't have any openings for a month, and when our big day finally arrived last week, a nor'easter roared into town and the optometrist closed for the day.  Joy was really bummed.

Fortunately, the eye doctor was able to squeeze us in today.  Joy got her new eyeglass prescription, then I informed her that I would only buy her new glasses if she chose one of the flexible frames you can practically tie in a knot without damaging.  She sulked a little, then found a pair she liked.  Hopefully they'll survive for a year or so until her next eye exam.

While we were waiting for Joy's exam, she spotted this festive little sign, and thought it said, "Be happy, Be bright, Be messy!"  The mix-up was funny, and provided further evidence that she really needs new glasses.

In other news, we've been watching some fun Christmas movies this month.  So far, we've watched Home Alone, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (since it starts during a Narnian winter, and Father Christmas makes a brief appearance), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the 1966 cartoon version--I'd forgotten how funny it is).  This week, we're going to watch my very favorite Christmas film ever: 

The Muppet Christmas Carol.  It's the perfect combination of warmth, a thought-provoking message, and unabashed zaniness.  Come to think of it, that's a pretty good description of this blog too.  No wonder I love that film!

Caroling from a Distance

 This afternoon, Anna and I dusted off our jingle bells and joined some friends . . .

. . . to carol to a few people from church who have been a little lonely lately.  It was a sweet experience to share hope and Christmas cheer . . .

. . . with people we love.

He's Back!

The enderman on the shelf is back!  It's fun to run across him in random places around our home each morning.

Keeping an eye on us from atop a curtain rod.

Climbing the mini Christmas tree.

Taking a nap on the microwave (which doesn't look very comfy to me, but hey, I'm not an enderman).

Even hanging out with Santa!  You never know where that guy will turn up! (The enderman, I mean--I think we all pretty much know what to expect from Santa.)

Two Virtual Christmas Concerts

Our ward usually plans a special worship service the Sunday before Christmas, with beautiful Christmas music and inspiring messages.  The pandemic obviously complicated that this December, so a member of our ward compiled a video of ward members reading Christmas scriptures and performing lovely musical numbers.  

There were also a few videos of a music director leading Christmas carols with a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass singing behind her.  The idea was to allow people at home to sing along and feel they were part of a choir.  The image is too small to see him clearly, but Daddy is the bass on the far left.  We thought it was kind of fun to sing Christmas songs with Daddy . . . 

. . . and Daddy.

This evening, we joined our piano teacher and her students for a Christmas recital.

Daniel did a good job playing the eighth verse of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" . . .

. . . and the girls nailed their "The First Noel" duet.  They worked especially hard to learn the song's fancy ending, and their practice paid off.  The piece sounded polished and beautiful.

Then Joy put Doc into a hamster ball for the first time, and we all went, "Awww!  He's so cute!"

Happy Trees

Ah, the joys of the Christmas season.  The lights, the music . . .

 

. . . the Eddystar in our backyard.  The kids love playing a game they made up called "Get the Eddystars," so Joy made a giant Eddystar in the snow out back.  Don't worry about Eddy the baby unicorn  squishmallow feeling chilly out there--since his nose got singed by a scented candle last month, the kids say he's now impervious to cold.

Speaking of fun holiday sights, the kids always get excited when an Amazon vehicle pulls into our driveway.  Maybe it's the anticipation of Christmas presents next week, or maybe it's just the novelty of having anyone approach our house during this pandemic.

Of course, one of the most heartwarming sights of all is a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, but for a while I worried that our tree stand would remain empty this year.  We went to the farm stand with delightful twirling Christmas trees this morning, and discovered that their trees were all sold out.  I asked a bunch of friends and called two Home Depots before I finally found . . .

. . . a few Christmas trees for sale up in Tewksbury.  We brought one of them home this evening, and Daddy helped me string the lights on so our tree looks festive and ready for ornaments.

And speaking of cheery Christmas trees, I smile every time I pass this little tree I made from my Grandma Sorenson's old costume jewelry.  I love remembering my sweet grandma, and the fun time I had creating a jewelry tree with the other Sorenson girls two years ago.